


It's Okay To Eat

by LifezVictory



Series: Shadow Sisters [5]
Category: Little Nightmares (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, Could be seen as PTSD, Could be seen as an eating disorder, Curses, Gen, Good Shadow Six (Little Nightmares), Harm to Animals, Mild Gore, Oneshot, Shadow Sisters AU (Little Nightmares), Shadow Six (Little Nightmares) has unorthadox methods, Six (Little Nightmares) has issues, Six's hunger (Little Nightmares), paranoya
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-04
Updated: 2020-09-04
Packaged: 2021-03-06 22:35:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,085
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26276518
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LifezVictory/pseuds/LifezVictory
Summary: Because of course Six would be paranoid after what she went through.
Relationships: Shadow Six & Six (Little Nightmares)
Series: Shadow Sisters [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1901089
Comments: 5
Kudos: 31
Collections: The Gen Sub Hub





	It's Okay To Eat

Triple didn't notice anything strange about her sister's behavior at first. She had assumed that all these new experiences, new places and new enemies, were simply making her feel unsettled. Anxiety was a notorious appetite buster, after all. But one day it was proven that no, that wasn't what was wrong. At least, not entirely.

She and Six had stopped to rest in a deeply wooded area. They were hoping that the abundance of greenery would help them be less discoverable by any potential threats. They had just finished setting up camp, building a fire and cooking, when something **strange** happened.

A moist, squelching gurgle broke the silence, which was once before only filled with the crackling of the campfire, as well as crickets and other small nighttime creatures. It was immediately followed by a sharp intake of breath. Triple was taken out of her mostly peaceful state immediately. What was that? A monster? But using her senses, both natural and magical, the shadow girl deduced that there was no one, human or otherwise, around for miles. No one except for Six. But there was something off about her.

**The girl sat up completely straight, mouth slightly agape, one hand pressed to her stomach. If Triple was able to see her eyes, she would guess they had a 'deer in the headlights' look in them. Her stance seemed to be anticipatory; she seemed to be waiting for something awful to happen, but what? When whatever she was waiting for didn't happen, she relaxed slightly, a puzzled expression playing across her face.**

"What is it?" Triple asked softly, deciding that now would be a good time to intervene.

* * *

For the first time in a very long while, Six was at peace. For once her whirlwind of thoughts about previous events [mostly of her mother and the past of her sister] were being kept at bay by a force the girl couldn't quite identify. There was nothing but the quiet woods, the warmth of the fire, and the constant comforting presence of her sister.

 **Until there wasn't.** A sudden movement and noise from her stomach brought Six from her daze instantly. She gasped, back straightening, hand flying to her stomach. She should have known it was too good to be true! Six sat completely motionless with dread, waiting for the pain, the weakness, the darkening of her vision, the pounding in her ears and that creepy, god forsaken song. One second. Five seconds. Eight seconds. Now! **It** was all going to start now! ... ... But it didn't.

 **Six allowed her muscles to relax, but only somewhat. What was going on? Why hadn't it started yet? It didn't make any sense! Her hunger** alwats **kicked in around this time!**

"What is it?" A familiar voice aided in clearing Six's mind somewhat. She took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. Oh, right. That wasn't her **real** hunger, but a curse. A curse that had been lifted from her days ago now. This was normal everyday hunger, and she wasn't going to hurt anyone because of it. ... Why did those thoughts sound so empty to her own mind?

"I-I" Six stammered, not knowing how she should convey her problem to her sister. "I think... I'm hungry."

"Well, grab something." Triple motions towards the pile of food they had cooked a while earlier, being kept warm with the heat of their fire. Six stood on thin, slightly shaky legs. She focused on the coolness of the grass beneath her bare feet and the humid air as she approached their supplies; anything but the delicious smell of their food. Who knows what would happen if she let her guard down? There was an abundance of cooked meat in the pile, seasoned with herbs Triple had found in the woods thanks to knowledge she'd gained by perusing their moth-The Lady's books. Their scents brought heaven in through Six's nose, intensifying the growling of her stomach. This frightened Six to the core. She knew all too vividly what had happened the last time she'd reached for meat, so she instead opted for a potato. Being careful not to touch any of the meat, she plucked the item from the pile with sweaty hands, holding it away from herself as she made her way back to her log. Triple's lips parted at this, as if she wanted to comment on Six's choice but then thought better of it.

Six sat herself back down, regarding the food with a strange combination of dread and anticipation. Taking a deep breath in an attempt to calm her nerves, Six lifted the hot potato to her mouth.

* * *

Triple watched, intrigued, as Six carefully retrieved something to eat from the pile. She seemed really cautious when doing so, shying away from the meat completely. That is when Triple realized that there was **definitely** more than just nerves. This was something else, and she had an idea of what it might be, but decided that it would be best to watch for a little bit longer just to make sure. After all, if her years spent in The Maw had taught her anything, it was to never assume things.

And so she did. She watched as Six cautiously lifted the food to her mouth, then tore into it without a second thought. She didn't even bother pealing it, simply eating that part as well. It was a little disturbing to watch, the way the child bit off and swallowed such large bites with ease. Triple could easily imagine that it wasn't a potato her sister was chowing down on, but something much more sinister. Six could as well apparently, judging by her shocked and horrified expression once she had finished off the food and came back to herself.

* * *

Six was petrified now. That experience she'd had with that potato was so similar to ones she'd had in the past that it made her blood turn to ice in her veins. She wiped her hands on her raincoat and addressed her sister, who was gazing at her with an expression of curiosity mixed with something else.

"What's happening?" Her voice, squeaking from not being used as often as others, cracked more than usual. "I thought... I thought you lifted the curse!"

Triple seemed to be slightly indignant at this comment. "I did." She barked, trying to keep her tone flat. "Your body just probably remembers how you ate back than and can still do it thanks to muscle memory or permanently enhanced teeth or something."

This explanation sounded completely ridiculous to Six's panicked mind, though it probably would have otherwise too. "How can you be sure?"

Triple seems to be in deep thought for a few moments. "Well, there is one way... but I'm warning you, you won't like it."

"Anything to make sure it's gone." And she truly means it. Six wanted to be able to eat her food in peace without thoughts of hurting someone plaguing her. If Triple had a way to do that, then she'd take it! No thought needed!

"Well okay, but don't say I didn't warn you." Then she rose from her log, drifting into the woods beyond the clearing they'd set up their camp in. Before completely disappearing into the trees, she glances over her shoulder. "Stay put there for a minute while I grab something. I'll be right back."

As Six awaited Triple's return, she tried to think of something other than her hunger. The potato was apparently not enough to satisfy her, and the smell of the meat lingering in the air still caused her appetite to roll over her in waves. They weren't painful per say, but they still made her nervous. Besides, Triple might need her to still have an appetite once she returned for her test.

A few moments later, a strange sound met Six's ears. It was a high-pitched, frantic sounding squeaking. Was an animal being hurt somewhere? The noise grew louder until Triple reentered their camp. She was gripping a small, struggling creature in her shadow tendrils. Six wasn't sure if it was a mouse, or rat, or something else entirely. She could only tell that it was some sort of small rodent. Slowly and purposefully, Triple approached the small animal until she was holding it inches from Six's face.

"I want you to take a good look at this," Triple began calmly. "And tell me if it's at all appetizing to you. Focus on the noises it's making, the way it struggles, how vulnerable it is..."

"Triple?"

"Just do it."

Six wasn't at all sure about this, but she understood why this was a good test and so complied with Triple's request. She focused completely on the struggling animal before her, unable to run and free for the taking. She expected an overwhelming burst of desire to hit her similar to back on The Maw when she had encountered a rat stuck in a trap, but it never came. Instead her stomach seemed to shrivel around the food she'd just consumed, appetite momentarily forgotten. She also felt uncomfortable, and a little disgusted. Not with her sister since she understood why she was doing this, but at the situation as a whole.

Six shook her head assuredly, leaning away from the writhing rodent. "Not at all."

"But you're still nervous about this, aren't you?" Triple ponders for a bit. "We could take this a step forward, but you're **really** not gunna like it."

Six nervously wonders what she means. Usually when she says something like this, it ends up being something disturbing in someway. But again, Six wanted to be absolutely positive that her hunger curse was gone. So she nods, only slightly, knowing that Triple will catch on. And she does, but Six is left wondering whether or not she wished she hadn't.

A thin line of shadow with a nastily pointed tip is split off from the larger ones holding the rodent captive. It pierces its haunch, leaving a streak of red in its wake. The animal squeals in pain as little red droplets fall into Six's lap. The thick stench of blood is rank in Six's nose, causing bile to rise into the back of her throat.

"How about now? Is it appetizing n—"

And then there was a whole lot more than just bile coming up. And out. Six felt as though she were a rubber duck filled with water being brutally squeezed by a toddler as what used to be a potato came rocketing out and all over herself. Now covered in blood and vomit she looks indignantly up at Triple, who for her part at least has the decency to look sheepish. "I'll take that as a 'no.'” She mumbles, letting go of the ambiguous rodent who makes a beeline back into the woods. Six makes a point of watching the shadows say back into Triple's form rather than looking at the trail of blood the rodent left behind. Of **course** she didn't get a single drop of anything on her.

"Well," said unscathed shadow girl says. "The results conclude that no, you're not cursed. You're clean."

Six scowls.

"...Well, magically at least."

* * *

"And now you're clean physically too!" Triple concludes. After a late evening river bath, the two of them are now sitting by the fire again, which is now mostly coles.

Six is still scowling as she nestles further into her now damp yellow raincoat, almost as though she's attempting to hide within it.

Triple sighs. "Six, this isn't good. You've thrown up the only thing you've had to eat tonight."

Six makes no effort to respond in any way.

"Look, I admit that... **stunt** was a bit on the nose, but surely it was enough to convince you that you're not going to go on a killing spree after eating a piece of meat." She picks up said meat and floats it over to Six with her magic, who recoils slightly despite herself. "Cooked dead meat, Six. It's gunna get cold if no one eats it soon." She drops it in Six's lap.

Six sighs, but hesitantly picks up the meat and takes a bite. She seems to be forcing herself to eat slowly and deliberately, but Triple is just glad she's eating at all. She lets out a quiet sigh of relief. She's nowhere near forgiving herself for putting that curse on her sister, but at least she seems to be healing from it now, slowly but surely.


End file.
